


right there beside you all summer long

by dessertwaffles



Series: best friends to boyfriends [3]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Summer Vacation, high school best friends to college boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28388211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dessertwaffles/pseuds/dessertwaffles
Summary: Most of their summer is the same as it’s always been. David takes Patrick to a museum and Patrick drags David to a baseball game (with the promise of concessions). David shows Patrick his favorite rom-coms and Patrick shows David the feel-good sports movies he never grows tired of. They watch TV, read books, eat snacks, and listen to music, just like they’ve done for years.But everything is different, too.Or, David and Patrick spend the summer together after their first year away at college.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: best friends to boyfriends [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2049711
Comments: 44
Kudos: 126





	right there beside you all summer long

**Author's Note:**

> I have multiple WIPs, but I just keep coming back to this 'verse instead! 
> 
> This could be read as a standalone with the context that David and Patrick are best friends who started dating right before college and now they're home for summer break. However, there are a lot of references to the previous two parts, so I do recommend reading those first!
> 
> A HUGE thank you goes to [DesignatedGrape](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesignatedGrape) for the kind words and incredibly helpful feedback.
> 
> I also wanted to say thank you to anyone who had read/left kudos/commented on any story in this series. It has meant the world to me and I'm so grateful for the warm welcome into the fandom.
> 
> Title is adapted from a line in Taylor Swift's _Tim McGraw_.

Patrick is practically vibrating with anticipation as his parents drive him home from his first year at college. He had a great year at school, and he’s definitely going to miss parts of it, but now he gets to go home and spend the entire summer with  _ David _ , his best friend turned boyfriend, and Patrick’s favorite person in the world. He can’t help the smile spreading across his face as he pulls out his phone to send David a text.

David  
  
On my way home! I should be there in an hour or so.  
  


David’s response comes a few seconds later.

David  
  
Have a safe drive!  
  
I can stop by in a couple hours? Give you a chance to unpack a bit.  
  
I don’t know if I can wait that long.   
  
Why don’t you just text me when you’re settled in?  
  
Sure ❤️  
  
❤️  
  


Patrick’s parents have all sorts of questions about school and his classes and his friends and his extracurriculars and David. He does his best to answer them, but his mind keeps wandering, daydreaming about the months ahead of him with David by his side. He’s lost in the thought of holding David’s hand at a baseball game when a familiar and jarring sound jolts him back to reality.

David  
  
David  
  
My parents just turned on my college’s radio.  
  
The polka is back.  
  
I seem to remember you saying it was your favorite  
  
You turned it up pretty loud  
  
You were excited about a potential polka hour  
  
It just changed to opera.  
  
That is...alarming  
  
How are you coping?  
  
It’s slightly better than the polka.  
  
I think?  
  
Nevermind.  
  
This is not good.  
  
How is this station still on the air?  
  
Who wants a different genre every three minutes?  
  
People who are very indecisive  
  
Or crazy  
  
Or looking for a life-altering comprehensive musical journey  
  
It’s playing rap now.  
  
Why haven’t your parents changed the station???  
  
I think they’re trying to show support for my school?  
  
I really don’t know.  
  
I hope the drive goes quickly.  
  
So I can see you but mostly so I don’t have to listen to this anymore.  
  


//

Three hours later, David knocks on the door and Patrick launches himself into his arms. David pats his back gently and Patrick nuzzles into his neck, breathing in his scent, savoring the feel of David’s soft t-shirt under his palms.

“Hi,” Patrick says, pulling back slightly to look up at his boyfriend’s face, at the lopsided grin and accompanying dimple he adores.

“Hi.” David’s hand comes to the back of Patrick’s head as he draws him in for a kiss and Patrick melts into the sensation of David’s lips finally on his own. 

“I missed you,” Patrick breathes when they break apart, one hand still on David’s waist, the other reaching up to touch David’s cheek.

“I missed you too,” David says, resting their foreheads together, then kissing Patrick one more time. 

“Want to go inside?” Patrick asks, not making a move to leave David’s embrace. “Rumor has it my mom bought the good snacks.”

“In a minute.” David pulls Patrick even closer, wraps his arms tight around Patrick’s neck, and kisses him again and again and again. Patrick loses himself in it, his whole world narrowing to David and how completely, utterly  _ right _ it feels to be back in his arms. 

//

When they finally make it inside, Patrick opens the kitchen cabinet to find that his mom had indeed bought the good snacks. He pulls out a bag of chips, opens it, and passes it to David, who grabs a handful and hums appreciatively.

“So, did your cafeteria food get any better?” Patrick asks, reaching into the bag and popping a chip into his mouth.

“It did not.”

“I thought you texted me that they changed up the fries?”

“They did! But only for a couple days,” David says, crunching down on a chip more aggressively that necessary. “They served curly fries for two days in a row. But then the next day, it was back to the usual crinkle cut.”

“I’m sorry, David,” Patrick says, patting David’s arm in mock seriousness.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t soggy most of the time. If you’re going to serve a mediocre cut of fry, at least make sure it’s crispy!”

“Have you ever thought about just not eating the fries,” Patrick monotones, reaching into the bag for another handful of chips.

“Let’s not get crazy now,” David says, looking affronted at the mere suggestion of  _ not  _ eating french fries.

Patrick snorts. “Well, at least you have a couple months before you have to eat them again.”

“Thank goodness,” David mutters.

Patrick takes the bag from David and dumps some chips into a bowl, then they settle side by side onto the living room couch, thighs pressed together. It feels so good to finally be with David again. They’d video chatted regularly throughout the semester and texted every day, but nothing compares to being together in person, to being able to share a bowl of chips, fingers occasionally brushing when they reach in at the same time. 

They trade stories about school until the bowl is empty, then Patrick snuggles into David’s side as he tells him about how he’s going to be rooming with the same person again in the fall. 

“He’s just very enthusiastic and he really wanted to live with me again and I couldn’t say no,” Patrick explains. David’s arm comes around Patrick’s shoulders, pulling him closer, fingers tracing gentle patterns into his bicep.

“He seems nice at least,” David says.

“He is,” Patrick confirms. “He also really likes my neon towels. He was thinking maybe we could go for a neon themed dorm room next year.”

“I take it back.”

“I’m just kidding,” Patrick laughs. He places his hand on top of David’s and stares straight into his eyes. “I was actually the one who suggested the neon theme.”

“Oh my god,” David says, withdrawing his arm from Patrick’s shoulders and making a show of scooting to the other end of the couch. Patrick grins at him. 

“Do you want to help me pick some stuff out?”

“I do not.”

Patrick takes his phone out, slides closer to David, and opens his web browser. “I’ve bookmarked some options if you want to see?”

David holds his hand up, blocking Patrick’s phone from view. “Please no.”

“Fine,” Patrick sighs, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “I can show you my mood board later.”

“You’re the worst,” David says, shaking his head fondly and putting his arm back around Patrick’s shoulders. Patrick leans into David’s touch with a laugh. He actually  _ did _ create an attempt at a neon mood board just to troll his boyfriend. He can’t wait to see David’s face when he shows him.

//

There’s an ice cream place in town that advertises one hundred different soft serve flavors. Patrick knows David is determined to try them all, so they always make a point to go at least once a week every summer. 

“Which flavor will it be today?” Patrick asks as they stand in line looking up at the extensive menu.

David takes out his phone, pulling up what Patrick assumes is the list of flavors he’s tried. “Hmmm...well last summer it looks like I left off on Raspberry Cheesecake. Which was delicious.” He glances up at the menu. “So, Red Velvet is next!”

“How many have you tried again?”

“Forty-seven.”

“You’ll finally hit the halfway point this summer,” Patrick laughs.

“Maybe you could order a new one too and we could share? So I could get there faster?”

“You have never shared ice cream ever in your life. Also I kind of wanted a chocolate and vanilla twist.” Patrick knocks his shoulder into David’s teasingly, smiling when David’s eyes go wide and his hands flail into the air.

“There are one hundred flavors here and you’re getting twist?” David’s voice sounds shocked and offended and he’s looking at Patrick like he suddenly sprouted wings.

“That is correct,” Patrick says, biting down on his smile to make it less obvious how much he’s enjoying this.

“Twist?” David repeats, voice rising in pitch, hands making a sweeping motion that just barely misses colliding with a little boy’s ice cream.

“It’s a perfectly good flavor,” Patrick insists and it’s their turn at the counter, so Patrick orders it before David can continue his protest. He actually  _ does  _ like twist, but David’s reaction to him ordering it makes it skyrocket up his list of favorite flavors.

They take their ice cream to their usual bench, a place David had laid claim on the first summer they came here together. Patrick had smiled as David explained that, through a careful calculation of color, angle, and proximity to both napkins and other customers, he had determined that this bench was the most correct of them all. Some of the paint has peeled back over the years, and it bears the scars of rain and sun and changing seasons, but no matter how much time passes, Patrick will always think of it as  _ their _ bench.

This summer they sit closer than they have in the years before, their knees touching and their shoulders brushing. And this summer, Patrick doesn’t just think about kissing the ice cream off of David’s mouth, he actually does it, pressing their cold lips together and savoring the sweetness he tastes there.

//

S’mores are a staple of their summers and this year is no different. Two weeks into summer break, they’re sitting next to the fire pit in Patrick’s backyard, spearing marshmallows on skewers under a sky painted with sparkling stars. Patrick has this part down to a science: he puts his chair a foot-and-a-half away from the fire and carefully rotates his marshmallow counterclockwise for approximately four minutes until it reaches a beautiful golden brown.

“You never told me about your art show,” Patrick says, once they’ve both transferred their marshmallows onto graham crackers. “I mean, you texted me about it. But I wanted to hear about it in person.”

“Right!” David takes a bite of his s’more, the marshmallow oozing onto his fingers. “Mm, that’s good.” He licks one of his fingers, then takes another bite. “Anyways, the art show.”

Patrick takes a bite of his own s’more as he watches David. It’s delicious, the chocolate melty and the marshmallow the perfect ooey-gooey consistency.

“They were doing a showcase of student work at the end of the semester. And, uh, I decided to submit something? I was starting to feel a little better about my art so I figured why not.”

“That’s great, David,” Patrick smiles, scooting his chair over so it’s right next to David’s.

“Yeah, and somehow I actually got in. It was mostly juniors and seniors in the show, but I guess someone really liked my piece so I got in too.”

Patrick beams at David, reaching out to squeeze his knee before realizing his hand is covered in marshmallow and David wouldn’t appreciate that on his designer pants.

“I, um, I have some pictures if you want to see?”

“Of course!” Patrick exclaims, craning his head to get a better view of David’s phone. David scrolls through the images and Patrick is filled to the brim with pride. David had been so worried about his art over winter break, so down on himself for not living up to his own high standards, but now he looks happy and confident as he shows Patrick the pictures and explains the concept of his piece.

“I’m really proud of you,” Patrick says, leaning over to press a kiss to David’s cheek. “Your piece is amazing.”

“Thanks,” David says, a smile spreading across his lips. “I was proud of me too.”

They finish their s’mores in comfortable silence, then Patrick gets up to grab two more marshmallows, handing one to David and moving his own chair closer to the fire.

“Are you feeling better about your classes?” Patrick asks as he spears his marshmallow and begins his meticulous rotation process.

“I think?” David says, putting his marshmallow into the fire much less carefully. “I mean, I still have days when I hate everything I do. But it’s, uh, it’s better overall.” He pulls his marshmallow out of the flames to check on it. “After the art show, I feel more like I belong.”

Patrick smiles at him, continuing his slow, even marshmallow rotations.

“I’m actually excited for my classes next year,” David says, sticking his own marshmallow back into the fire.

“Me too,” Patrick says, pulling his marshmallow out of the fire and deeming it satisfactory. “I’m excited to get into more advanced business theory.”

“You’re a dork.”

They chat about their classes until their stomachs hurt from all the s’mores and their cheeks hurt from laughing. David insists on making one last s’more (“so the chocolate doesn’t go to waste!”) and Patrick rolls his eyes affectionately and starts cleaning up the remaining supplies. 

//

Most of their summer is the same as it’s always been. David takes Patrick to a museum and Patrick drags David to a baseball game (with the promise of concessions). David shows Patrick his favorite rom-coms and Patrick shows David the feel-good sports movies he never grows tired of. They watch TV, read books, eat snacks, and listen to music, just like they’ve done for years.

But everything has changed, too. David kisses Patrick against a wall in the museum when no one else is around. Patrick explains baseball plays to David by tracing patterns onto his thigh. They cuddle up during the rom-coms and make out during the sports movies. Patrick threads his fingers through David’s while they watch TV, puts his head on his shoulder while they read, brushes their hands together while they share snacks, and presses kisses to his cheek while they listen to music. It’s different and it’s perfect and Patrick has never been happier.

//

They spend the day at a lake in mid-July. The sun is bright in a cloudless sky, its glow rippling softly across the dark water. Patrick sets up two neon towels, pinning them down on one side with a cooler and a backpack full of snacks.

“Ready to swim?” Patrick asks brightly, a teasing grin spreading across his face. 

“I told you a million times! I don’t go  _ in _ the water. I’ll just sit here and keep the snacks company.”

“Okay, David,” Patrick says, kicking off his flip flops, eyes flicking up and down David’s body. “I can’t help but notice that you did wear a bathing suit, though.”

“These are just stylized shorts,” David protests. “Swimwear chic is very in.”

“Oh, of course. But you’re not wearing  _ swimwear chic _ . You’re wearing a bathing suit.”

David huffs. “Fine. I am -  _ maybe _ \- wearing a bathing suit. It’s just - what if a shark attacks me?”

“There aren’t sharks in lakes, David,” Patrick says patiently. “We’ve been over this.”

“Okay. Okay. What if a fish, I don’t know,  _ touches _ me?”

“I think they’re generally scared of all the people. But if a fish touches you, I will be there to help you through it.” Patrick gives David’s arm a pat, looking up to meet his eyes. David gives him a small smile.

“Fine. I will try it. For you,” David says. “But I’m only promising to put my feet in.”

“Works for me,” Patrick says, grabbing the hem of his own shirt and pulling it over his head. He watches David’s eyes roam over his body; this isn’t the first time in their years of friendship that they’ve seen each other shirtless, but it’s the first time since they started dating (privacy has been hard to come by).

Patrick grins at David, gives him a wink, and runs off towards the lake with a “See you there!”

David arrives at his side a minute later and Patrick is transfixed by the way the sun hits all of his gorgeously tan skin, by the way his dark eyes have a soft amber glow in the light. He can’t help it - he pulls David in by the waist, reveling in the feeling of their bare chests pressing together, and kisses him soundly, not caring who’s watching.

“Like what you see?” David teases, giving his shoulders a slight shimmy.

“Very much,” Patrick says, letting go of David’s waist and taking his hand instead. “Now let’s get you into the water!”

Patrick steps right in, but David is much more hesitant, toeing the water repeatedly before making any move to submerge his whole foot. Patrick just watches him; he’s in no rush to get into the water and he’s not complaining about the excuse to stare at his very handsome boyfriend’s very handsome chest. 

Eventually, David gets both feet in, looking victorious that he managed to do so. Patrick smiles at him fondly.

“How are you doing?”

“I guess we could go, um, a little farther,” David says, slowly stepping forward, eyes darting around to check for fish. 

Once the water is up to their thighs, Patrick drops David’s hand and goes a couple more feet to submerge himself fully. It’s a hot day and the cool water feels refreshing against his skin.

“You don’t have to come out this far if you don’t want to,” he tells David, pushing his wet curls out of his face and blinking water from his eyes.

“Okay,” David says. “I, uh, I think I might try.”

“No rush,” Patrick assures him. David proceeds very slowly and very cautiously, but eventually he makes it. Patrick cheers and wraps his arms around his neck, leaning in to give him a quick congratulatory kiss. 

“The water actually feels nice,” David admits.

“And no fish attacked you!”

“Hopefully it stays that way,” David says, looking around as if to scare away any rogue fish with the force of his eyes. Patrick laughs and kisses him again, smiling into it. 

Hours later, they’re lounging on their towels, watching people splashing in the lake, listening to the sounds of laughter, the crinkle of food being unwrapped, the loud hum of boats speeding by in the background. They spent a while in the lake, until David got hungry and Patrick needed to reapply his sunscreen. After snacks, they took another quick dip in the water and now they’re back on their towels, drying off and soaking up the sun.

“I’m really glad I wore my bathing suit today,” David says softly.

“So you admit that it’s a bathing suit.”

“I’m trying to be sincere!”

Patrick grins. “Sorry. Go ahead.”

“The water was much nicer than I thought it would be.”

“I wouldn’t take you somewhere if I didn’t think you’d enjoy it,” Patrick says, turning on his side so he’s facing David.

“I mean, you take me to a baseball game every single summer, so I’m not sure if that’s true.”   


“You secretly love it,” Patrick insists, poking David’s arm.

“I not-secretly love the concessions.”

“I know you do,” Patrick laughs. They fall into silence, David looking out at the water, Patrick looking at David, at the way the sun caresses his skin and softens his features. His hair is drying into messy black curls, his eyes are crinkled from his gentle smile, and his shoulders are covered in constellations of newly formed freckles. He’s beautiful and he faced his fear of the water to make Patrick happy and Patrick loves him so much.

“Hey,” he says, covering David’s hand with his own.

David turns his head so he’s looking into Patrick’s eyes and flips his hand over to lace their fingers together. “Hey.”

Patrick smiles and leans in to press his lips to David’s in a gentle kiss. 

“I love you.”

Patrick thought it would be scary to say the words out loud, but it’s not. Not when he’s felt them for years, not when he’s sure that David feels the same way. David smiles at him and it doesn’t matter if he says the words back because his face says everything. 

“I love you too,” David whispers and Patrick can’t help the wide toothy grin that spreads across his face. He tries to kiss David again, but he’s smiling too much to do it properly, so he hugs him instead, holding him tight, somehow feeling even happier than he’s felt all summer.

//

“Are you sure we’re ready to take this step?” Patrick asks, gripping David’s arms.

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” David sighs.

“I don’t know, it’s sort of a relationship milestone.”

“We’re just buying towels! For you. For your dorm room.”

“I didn’t let you pick them out last year,” Patrick reminds him, letting go of his arms and turning to inspect the shelves of towels. His hand itches to grab the brightest one and put it in the cart.

“I know. I  _ tried _ , but you bought those neon monstrosities instead.” The size of his hand gestures seems to indicate how large of a blunder he thinks Patrick made in his towel choice.

“I actually think my roommate is really going to miss them. He always talked about how they brightened up the space. Do you think we’re giving enough consideration to his feelings?”

“Oh my god, when you said I could pick out new towels for you, I didn’t think I’d be subjected to  _ this _ .”

“So that’s a no to this one?” Patrick asks, pointing towards a towel with a pattern of neon green and highlighter yellow swirls.

“How about you wait at the end of the aisle?” David suggests. Patrick grins at him, but he steps back and watches as David picks out several high-quality grey towels that perfectly coordinate with his grey plaid comforter. 

“These feel nice,” Patrick comments, picking up one of the towels from the cart.

“Well, the ones you picked were practically sandpaper, so,” David shrugs.

“They did their job.”

“But at what cost?”

“Three dollars each,” Patrick teases, watching David’s face do the exact exasperated twitch he’d been hoping for. “Seriously though, thanks for helping me.” David gives him a skeptical look, which Patrick deserves considering he spent the whole trip teasing David.

“I mean it,” Patrick insists. “How about I take you to ice cream as a thank you? You can try the next flavor on your list.”

“Yes please,” David agrees, turning around to head to the registers. “Do  _ not _ sneak that neon towel into the cart when I’m not looking.” Patrick snorts. He’d been about to do exactly that.

//

In the beginning of August, Patrick’s parents go away on a weekend trip to the city, like they do every summer. Patrick usually joins them, but this year he convinced them to leave him behind. It’s not that he doesn’t want to go; it’s just that if his parents aren’t here, then David can spend the night in Patrick’s bed and he wants that a lot more. 

They order pizza from their favorite local place, then curl up on the couch to watch the next Sandra Bullock film on David’s list, a soft blue blanket draped across their laps, David’s arm settling around Patrick’s shoulders and Patrick’s fingers finding David’s. They’ve been watching movies like this all summer and it’s infinitely better than when they used to sit on separate cushions, Patrick half paying attention to what was on the screen, half wondering what would happen if he moved in closer. 

“Do you want ice cream?” Patrick asks, about thirty minutes into the movie. 

David fumbles for the remote so he can hit pause. “Always.”

“I bought whipped cream and sprinkles and chocolate and caramel."

“I love you,” David says, squeezing Patrick’s shoulders. They’ve been saying it a lot since their day at the lake, but Patrick’s heart still soars like it’s the first time he’s hearing it. He smiles at David, kisses his cheek, and heads to the kitchen. 

They make their sundaes quickly, David piling his high with all the toppings, Patrick opting for caramel and a small amount of whipped cream. Then they head back to the couch, David pressing play on the movie and Patrick pulling the blanket back over their legs.

After the movie, they go upstairs to get ready for bed. Patrick lets David go first in the bathroom, changing into an old baseball t-shirt and plaid pajama shorts while he waits, then running downstairs to grab some extra pillows for David. And an extra blanket. It’s summer so it’s probably unnecessary, but he knows David loves blankets and he wants him to be comfortable. 

David emerges from the bathroom, looking very comfy in a white shirt and black joggers, as Patrick is rearranging the pillows. He brushes his hand across Patrick’s lower back as he walks by and  _ god _ Patrick can’t wait to kiss him without the possibility of being interrupted by his parents. He heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth quickly (but thoroughly - oral hygiene is important), then walks back to his bedroom, choosing to forgo wearing his retainer for the first time since getting his braces off in middle school. 

David is perched on the end of the bed, scrolling through his phone, when Patrick enters the room.

“I wasn’t sure which side you wanted,” David says, putting his phone down and smiling up at Patrick.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Patrick says, turning on the lamp on his nightstand and flicking off the overhead light.

“Okay. I’ll take the far side, then.” David pulls back the covers and climbs in, holding out his arms for Patrick once he’s gotten comfortable. Patrick happily slides into them, nuzzling his face against David’s soft t-shirt as he gets closer. 

“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispers into David’s chest. He feels David’s lips brush the top of his head and the warmth of it resonates through his entire body.

“Me too.”

Patrick pulls back slightly from David’s embrace so he can look into his eyes, a smile spreading across his face as he thinks back to a year ago when David would’ve been on an air mattress instead of tangled under the covers with him. 

“What?” David asks, a matching smile pulling at his lips, his dark eyes fond, his thumb lightly stroking Patrick’s cheek. 

“Just thinking about last summer. And how many times I thought about kissing you, but chickened out.”

“Mm, tell me more,” David says, his eyebrows raising in interest. Patrick leans in and closes the distance between them instead. 

Their kisses start off gentle, just soft presses of lips, Patrick’s hands coming up to cradle David’s face, David’s hand moving to the back of Patrick’s head, his fingers burying themselves in the curls. Sometimes Patrick still can’t believe that he gets to have this, that kissing his best friend didn’t mess up their relationship, it just made it stronger. 

Patrick moves his hand to the short, silky hair at the nape of David’s neck, drawing him closer and kissing him harder. He slides his tongue against David’s lower lip and David opens eagerly, his hand trailing down Patrick’s neck, then coming to rest between his shoulder blades. David tastes like the mint from his toothpaste and the chocolate from his sundae and Patrick can’t get enough. He grabs at David’s t-shirt, sparing half a second to hope he doesn’t permanently stretch the material, before pulling him impossibly closer and getting lost in David’s soft lips and warm, sturdy hands. 

David shifts to lie on his back, pulling Patrick half on top of him, hands going under his shirt and mapping out every inch of his back. Patrick kisses slowly down David’s neck and up the other side, his hand roaming David’s chest. He pauses for a moment to drink in the sight of David, his dark eyes, his flushed cheeks, his wet lips, before diving in for another kiss. 

David’s fingers tug at the hem of Patrick’s shirt and Patrick adjusts his position to make it easier for David to pull it over his head. It gets stuck briefly and Patrick laughs into the thin blue cotton as he wiggles out of it and watches David toss it aside. Then David’s eyes are on him and he’s looking at Patrick like he’s the best thing he’s ever seen, and Patrick can’t not be kissing him anymore, so he crushes their lips together, fingers tangling in David’s hair.

They break apart for air and stare at each other for a moment, matching smiles spreading across their faces. Patrick finds David’s hand and gives it a squeeze, then realizes that David is still wearing his shirt, which should probably be fixed immediately. He gets his hands underneath it, pulling it up, rolling off of David for just a moment so he can get the shirt over his head. Patrick wants to drop it on the floor and get back to David’s lips, but he takes a minute to fold it and delicately place it next to the bed. David hums appreciatively as he kisses Patrick’s neck.

They spend a long time exploring each other’s bodies, enjoying the feel of skin on skin, pressing kisses to collarbones, chests, and stomachs. David captures Patrick’s lips again and Patrick runs his hands down David’s back, ending just before the waistband of his joggers. Tentatively, he moves his hands down, fingertips brushing underneath the soft material of David’s pants.

“Wait,” David breathes. Patrick stops, drawing his hands back up to rest on David’s shoulders.

“Sorry,” Patrick says.

“No, it’s fine. Just -” David hesitates. “We, um, we don’t have to do anything more than what we’re doing just because your parents aren’t home. This won’t be our only opportunity.”

Patrick meets his eyes. “I know. But I want to.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

A gentle smile crosses David’s lips. “Okay. I, um, I want to, too. For the record.”

“Okay.” Patrick takes David’s face lightly between his hands, leaning in to place a soft kiss on his mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you.” David swipes a thumb across Patrick’s cheek, then kisses him long and slow, Patrick melting into his touch. 

//

Patrick wakes up with David curled against his side, his dark hair in messy waves splayed across the light blue pillow. Sun is starting to peek in through the curtains and Patrick reaches out to touch the streak of bright light that falls on David’s bare shoulder. David is still sound asleep, his chest slowly rising and falling, his lips slightly parted, his face soft and vulnerable and the most beautiful sight Patrick has ever laid eyes on. Patrick ghosts his fingers across David’s shoulder, delicately tracing his sea of freckles, memorizing the patterns they form and basking in the serenity of the moment. 

He drifts off to sleep again, waking an undetermined amount of time later to the same gorgeous sight of David in his bed. David stirs, shifting just enough for his head to face Patrick, and blinks sleepily up at him. 

“You can go back to sleep,” Patrick whispers, putting an arm around David and pulling him close. They’ll have to get out of bed eventually, but for now they can enjoy their first lazy morning together, cuddled up under Patrick’s plaid comforter. Patrick smiles and kisses the top of David’s head, whispering “I love you” into his hair. He thinks David mumbles it back, his sleep-addled words getting caught in the folds of Patrick’s shirt. 

//

“I’m thinking about trying out for the play this semester,” Patrick says over dinner on their one-year anniversary. They’re splitting an order of mozzarella sticks while they wait for their entrees. 

“You should definitely do it,” David says, gesturing with his mozzarella stick, then taking a bite. “You loved doing the shows in high school.”

“Yeah. I missed it a lot last year,” Patrick admits. “But I wanted to get used to my classes and everything before putting something else on my plate.”

“So responsible,” David teases, reaching for another mozzarella stick and enthusiastically dunking it in the marinara sauce. “Do you know what show they’re doing?”

“No, they haven’t announced it yet. But they usually do a musical in the fall.”

“You’ll have to have someone record it, so you can send it to me.”

“If I even make it in.”

“You’ll make it,” David says seriously, putting down his mozzarella stick and taking Patrick’s hand. “They’d be crazy not to cast you.”

“Thanks,” Patrick smiles. “It’ll be weird not having you in the audience. You were always very...loud.” He squeezes David’s hand and grins. “After my solos, I could usually hear you yelling ‘that’s my friend!’ to your neighbors.”

“I wanted them to know!” David says. “Maybe I could figure out a way to be there. I only have one class on Friday and it ends at noon, so if I found a cheap flight I could maybe make it.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Patrick insists, but his heart is so full it might burst. 

“I’d like to.”

“Well, I haven’t even auditioned yet so we probably shouldn’t make any concrete plans,” Patrick says. “But, that would be really nice.” He smiles softly and brings David’s hand to his mouth, kissing it gently. He pictures walking around his campus with David, holding hands, showing him all of his favorite places. He wants to take David to the cafeteria and find out his opinion on the french fries. He wants to hug him tight after performing onstage, kiss him under the tree in the center of the quad, and snuggle up against him in his tiny dorm room bed.

“I’ll see what I can do,” David smiles, picking up his mozzarella stick with his free hand and taking a bite. “These are delicious, by the way.”

“You can have the rest,” Patrick says, giving David’s hand another squeeze.

//

After dinner, Patrick brings David to the field where they had their first kiss, blue knit blanket in one hand, David’s fingers laced through the other. They set up the blanket together and lay on their backs, looking up at the inky black sky and the spatter of stars that glow against it.

Patrick rests his head against David’s shoulder and points upwards. “There’s the North Star. Remember?”

A smile pulls at one corner of David’s mouth as he nods. “And the Big Dipper is -” his eyes search the sky, widening when he spots it “- there!”

“Yup,” Patrick says, smiling fondly at David’s excited face. 

“I have something to ask you,” David says, turning on his side and propping his head up with his hand.

“Okay.”

“Was the stargazing last summer just an elaborate ploy to hold my hand?”

“No!” Patrick exclaims. “I like the stars. My dad has a telescope!” David just looks at him, clearly not buying a single word Patrick is saying. 

“I do like the stars,” Patrick insists. “But, um, if it also happened to be a way to hold your hand, then maybe -  _ maybe  _ \- it wasn’t a coincidence.”

David shifts to lie on his back again, grabbing Patrick’s hand and using it to gesture towards the sky. “See that? That’s the Big Dipper.”

“I know, David. You pointed it out two minutes ago.” He says it with a straight face, but he can’t help the smile that breaks out when he looks over at David.

“Well it’s the only one I remember!” 

Patrick just laughs and rolls on his side, throwing an arm over David’s chest. He looks into David’s eyes, nuzzles their noses together, and then kisses him hard. David responds immediately, carding his fingers through Patrick’s hair, pulling him closer and kissing him deeper. Patrick loves this so much, loves  _ David _ so much, and he sighs contentedly into David’s mouth, happy to live in this moment forever.

//

Pretty soon, the end of summer break creeps up on them and it’s time for Patrick to head back to school. David helps him pack, patiently going through the list and the back-up list until Patrick is confident that everything is accounted for. Then Patrick locks his bedroom door and they say a lengthy goodbye that thankfully isn’t interrupted by Patrick’s mom offering them snacks. 

“Maybe I’ll see you during the semester,” Patrick says later as he walks David to the front door.

“I hope so,” David smiles. “Let me know about the play.”

Patrick squeezes his hand, then pulls him into a tight hug. “I will.”

“I can help you pick an audition song if you want.”

“Sure.”

They pull back slightly from the hug, their faces inches apart.

“I love you,” Patrick whispers, the words catching a bit in his throat. After spending almost three months together, this good-bye feels harder than the others.

“I love you,” David whispers back, tilting Patrick’s chin up to kiss him, soft and slow.

“I’ll text you when we leave tomorrow,” Patrick says, absently tracing circles into David’s lower back.

“I will try to be awake,” David replies. “Don’t let your parents play your college’s radio station again.”

Patrick laughs and captures David’s lips in a quick kiss. “I’ll try my best.”

And then he’s gone and their summer together officially comes to an end. Patrick gets ready for bed and climbs under the covers, pulling out his phone to swipe through his pictures. He smiles at the pictures of David holding ice cream cones (he’d added twelve more flavors to his list), of David’s awkward mini-golf stance that he insisted helped him hit the ball more accurately (it didn’t), of David posing in his swimsuit, of the two of them smiling, kissing, and laughing, looking happy and in love.

He taps over to his messaging app to send David a text before trying to sleep.

David  
  
Thanks for a great summer.  
  
I love you and I miss you ❤️  
  


David replies almost instantly, as always.

David  
  
I love you and I miss you.  
  
See you soon ❤️  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](https://dessertwaffles.tumblr.com/)!


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